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Diesel Mechanics Technology Major

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Diesel Mechanics Technology

2,349 Associates's Degrees Annually
26 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#21 in Popularity (Associate's)
$49,150 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Diesel Mechanics Technology Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many diesel mechanics technology/technician graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate 3,758
Associate Degree 2,349
Basic Certificate 2,338
Bachelor’s Degree 26

What Diesel Mechanics Technology Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, diesel mechanics technology/technician majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician Majors

When studying diesel mechanics technology/technician, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

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  • Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
  • Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Abilities for Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician Majors

Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Diesel Mechanics Technology Major?

People with a diesel mechanics technology/technician degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists 9.3% $47,350

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Diesel Mechanics Technology?

2,349 Associate's Degrees Annually
4% Percent Women
24% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 96% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of diesel mechanics technology/technician majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 14
Black or African American 90
Hispanic or Latino 350
White 1,650
International Students 5
Other Races/Ethnicities 240

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician. About 0.2% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Diesel Mechanics Technology Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to diesel mechanics technology/technician is $49,150. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Diesel Mechanics Technology Major  49,150
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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Some careers associated with diesel mechanics technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for diesel mechanics technology/technician careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 30.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 41.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 18.0%
Some College Courses 7.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 5.6%

Online Diesel Mechanics Technology Programs

In 2020-2021, 318 schools offered a diesel mechanics technology/technician program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 209 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 40 0
Associate’s Degree 169 0
Bachelor’s Degree 0 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 0 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Diesel Mechanics Technology Worth It?

The median salary for a diesel mechanics technology/technician grad is $49,150 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 23% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $185,000 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to diesel mechanics technology/technician.

Major Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician 28,872
Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician 6,148
Autobody/Collision & Repair Technology/Technician 4,487
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician 2,392
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician 2,243
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician 1,073
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 804
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician 655
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 430
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic 382
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician 218
Engine Machinist 133
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician 112
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 94

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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